162: Investors, Crowdfunding, or Shark Tank? Maneesh Sethi's Done It All and Reveals His Funding Strategies

I love a crazy story, and if you’re building a business, these stories will happen all the time. I’ve had a few myself, and it always makes me feel better when I hear from fellow founders who go through a wild experience and end up learning something. That’s why before we record every episode of the podcast, I always ask our guests to share crazy stories from their journeys.  Today, you’re going to hear some of those stories.  In this episode, you’ll learn from:  Guy Kawasaki, chief evangelist at Canva  Daniel Winer, CEO and co-founder of Hexclad Holly Thaggard, founder of Supergoop! Suneera Madhani, founder and CEO of Stax Payments Michelle Zatlyn, co-founder, president, and COO of Cloudflare  Jessica Rolph, co-founder of Lovevery and Happy Family Organics  Cody Ko and Noel Miller, founders of TMG Studios Alight, it’s time to get crazy… Click here to start your business for $1. You’ll get all-access foundr+, where you’ll find more in-depth, proven strategies from founders like our guest today and support and advice from our global community of 30,000 founders. If you loved this conversation and learned something new, rate and review this episode. Stay in touch with us, follow foundr on your favorite platform: Foundr.com Instagram YouTube Facebook X LinkedIn Magazine

28 Kesä 202429min

Ava Chandler-Matthews and Bec Jefferd spent their entire careers building an unfair advantage before starting Ultra Violette. The former product development colleagues at Mecca spent two and a half years creating their “skinscreen” formula before launching. In 2019, when they launched, the market was ready. In the first six months, they sold 40,000 units and disrupted the medicinal sunscreen category with their sexy and fun branding. Ultra Violette now sells its skincare-infused SPF products in 28 countries, and it recently raised $15M. In this episode, Nathan Chan chats with Chandler-Matthews and Jefferd about developing a regulated beauty product, standout branding advice, and knowing what good looks like. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why they spent two and a half years in the ideation phase How they accidentally overordered their first product batch The origins of their fictional marketing character “Vi” The marketing challenges around a regulated product Why having a global mindset is critical for beauty brands The pros and cons of owning your formula What you need to pitch mass retailers like Sephora or Mecca How to test formulations with real people Product development and formulation timing tips And much more beauty brand advice… Click here to start your business for $1. You’ll get all-access foundr+, where you’ll find more in-depth, proven strategies from founders like our guest today and support and advice from our global community of 30,000 founders. If you loved this conversation and learned something new, rate and review this episode. Stay in touch with us, follow foundr on your favorite platform: Foundr.com Instagram YouTube Facebook X LinkedIn Magazine

21 Kesä 20241h 21min

Listener favorite Gretta van Riel returns to the podcast to share the influencer strategies that helped her scale three million-dollar ecommerce brands. Van Riel chats with Nathan Chan about her early days with SkinnyMeTea and ecommerce milestones, including being featured on Oprah’s “Favorite Things” and winning Shopify’s “Build a Business” contest. Then, she reveals the strategies behind her influencer marketing agency, Hey Influencers, and offers practical advice for early-stage founders on using influencer marketing to scale effectively on a lean budget. In this episode, you’ll learn: What happened during the first 60 days of SkinnyMeTea To conduct a product-for-post campaign How to negotiate with influencers The tiered micro influencer approach To track conversions through personalized codes and cost-per-click How to do a return for gifting through Instagram Stories Van Riel’s definition of creator vs. influencer Why working with an influencer co-founder is the fastest way to grow The “3 Rs” of finding quality influencers Why Twitch is an influencer gold mine The importance of direct-to-camera selling Why post-purchase surveys help track influencer impact And more influencer marketing tips… Click here to start your business for $1. You’ll get all-access foundr+, where you’ll find more in-depth, proven strategies from founders like our guest today and support and advice from our global community of 30,000 founders. If you loved this conversation and learned something new, rate and review this episode. Stay in touch with us, follow foundr on your favorite platform: Foundr.com Instagram YouTube Facebook X LinkedIn Magazine

14 Kesä 202432min

When Kanye calls you on a Sunday night, you pick up. That was Eric Liedtke’s life for years as the head of global brands at Adidas, where he was instrumental in building the Yeezy brand and scaling the Adidas ecommerce platform to a multi-billion dollar business. After a 26-year corporate career, Liedtke gave it up and started from scratch as the CEO and co-founder of UNLESS Collective, a plant-based streetwear brand designed to leave zero plastic waste. Nathan Chan and Liedtke go deep into his war stories from Adidas, working with celebrity talent like Kanye, and why starting UNLESS was a humbling experience. In this episode, you’ll learn: How Liedtke climbed from a sweeper to a board member at Adidas The origins of Yeezy, its growth, and what went wrong That Adidas built Kanye a sample room in Calabasas What Kanye taught him about branding Why UNLESS partnered with skate, surf, and snow influencers The different skills between a corporate leader and an entrepreneur Why he thought starting a business would be easier Why Kanye almost bought UNLESS Why you always need to have a Plan B Supplying t-shirts for Robert Downey Jr. And much more product branding advice… Click here to start your business for $1. You’ll get all-access foundr+, where you’ll find more in-depth, proven strategies from founders like our guest today and support and advice from our global community of 30,000 founders. If you loved this conversation and learned something new, rate and review this episode. Stay in touch with us, follow foundr on your favorite platform: Foundr.com Instagram YouTube Facebook X LinkedIn Magazine

8 Kesä 202454min

Nick Shackelford wants to get soccer moms buzzed. His brand, BRĒZ, targets consumers who want to relax without a hangover in the morning. The challenge is getting BRĒZ sold online to soccer moms when selling the product isn’t fully legal. Shackelford is a managing partner at Structured Social and is Foundr’s How to Run Facebook Ads course instructor. But in this episode, Nathan Chan talks to a different Nick–a partner of the THC beverage brand BRĒZ. He started the business in 2023 to show his clients that Facebook ads work. What happened next is truly extraordinary. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why Shackelford started over with a THC beverage product How BRĒZ earned $2.8M in sales in the first 10 months Why BRĒZ came at the highest price point in the market Why did they target soccer moms trying to get a buzz About Shackelford’s sympathy for his advertising clients Competing against the massive alcohol market How Shackelford structures his ad campaigns The grey area around THC product advertising Why they spend $25K on ad per day And much more CBD and THC product advice… Click here to start your business for $1. You’ll get all-access foundr+, where you’ll find more in-depth, proven strategies from founders like our guest today and support and advice from our global community of 30,000 founders. If you loved this conversation and learned something new, rate and review this episode. Stay in touch with us, follow foundr on your favorite platform: Foundr.com Instagram YouTube Facebook X LinkedIn Magazine

31 Touko 202430min

When Alex Elias started Qloo, “artificial intelligence” was a dirty word. A decade later, Qloo is a pioneer in AI. Qloo is an AI decision-making platform that helps corporate clients predict audience tastes and preferences. Elias says that we’re still in “the Napster era of AI” and that the hype will eventually become a subtle integration into our lives. In this episode, Elias shares about being an early adopter of AI and how he’s endured the hype to build a trusted business that Twitter once rejected. In this interview, you’ll learn: Why AI brings more problems for entrepreneurs to solve The advantages and disadvantages of being an early adopter When Qloo landed and lost Twitter as a client How not to lose your identity in your business How to develop long-term stamina as a founder Why Elias biked commuted in NYC for years How to use AI for your business beyond generative tools Why AI will become more subtle in the future And much more AI and founder mindset advice… Click here to start your business for $1. You’ll get all-access foundr+, where you’ll find more in-depth, proven strategies from founders like our guest today and support and advice from our global community of 30,000 founders. If you loved this conversation and learned something new, rate and review this episode. Stay in touch with us, follow foundr on your favorite platform: Foundr.com Instagram YouTube Facebook X LinkedIn Magazine

24 Touko 202456min

Shay Mitchell loves it when people approach her in public and ask about her luggage instead of a selfie. The multi-hyphenate founder never wanted her brand to be BÉIS by Shay Mitchell; she wanted her business to stand alone as a solution for customers. Mitchell is an actress, producer, entrepreneur, activist, mother, and author. She’s best known for her work on the hit show "Pretty Little Liars,” but has transitioned the Hollywood glitz for the boardroom blitz. Since 2017, she’s founded three companies: Amore & Vita Productions, BÉIS travel wear, and Onda canned sparkling tequila. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why the name play a huge part in BÉIS development Mitchell’s philosophy of learning Why she’s still a consumer first About the lengthy sampling and design process for BÉIS How BÉIS turned negative publicity into a viral pop-up event Four ways to partner with talent for your business. How Drake became Onda’s first and best customer About Mitchell’s new upcoming travel show Thirst If she’s ever returning to YouTube And much more brand, business, and founder advice… Click here to start your business for $1. You’ll get all-access foundr+, where you’ll find more in-depth, proven strategies from founders like our guest today and support and advice from our global community of 30,000 founders. If you loved this conversation and learned something new, rate and review this episode. Stay in touch with us, follow foundr on your favorite platform: Foundr.com Instagram YouTube Facebook X LinkedIn Magazine

17 Touko 20241h

Ezra Firestone’s businesses generated $70M in revenue last year, but he says he’s just “some guy.” He started his first ecommerce store in 2006, selling Marge Simpson wigs. Despite being a high school dropout with no experience or education, he was determined to make his business work. Two decades later, he’s invested and co-founded five successful businesses, including Smart Marketer, an ecom education platform that helps entrepreneurs run stores that generate over $20 million in yearly revenue. In this episode, Firestone leans on his decades of experience to outline the fundamentals of a revenue-generating ecom business. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why you don’t have to be “book smart” to be successful Firestone’s step-by-step sales funnel Why you need a basket-building product at the beginning The benefit of a merchandising strategy The three core aspects of business What conversion-based commerce means A TikTok Shop secret How he almost went broke selling 8,000 Marge Simpson wigs Why having fun helps you win in business And much more ecom strategies and advice… Click here to start your business for $1. You’ll get all-access foundr+, where you’ll find more in-depth, proven strategies from founders like our guest today and support and advice from our global community of 30,000 founders. If you loved this conversation and learned something new, rate and review this episode. Stay in touch with us, follow foundr on your favorite platform: Foundr.com Instagram YouTube Facebook X LinkedIn Magazine

10 Touko 202439min